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  • Scams, Schemes & Tomfoolery: Be Careful With Your Tax Rebate!

Scams, Schemes & Tomfoolery: Be Careful With Your Tax Rebate!

Kelly Phillips ErbMay 14, 2008

I’ve posted before that there are NO plans in Congress to distribute monthly stimulus payments or rebates or bonuses to taxpayers.
Nonetheless, I continue to receive emails from concerned readers about ads touting such a plan (I’ve seen one myself). These ads are the product of private companies: this information is NOT from the IRS, the Department of the Treasury or any related government agency. For the most part, these ads are from private companies who are selling services, annuities and other financial products. I have received specific information that the ads have been seen on Yahoo and on eBay – there may be other sites. If you see these ads, please keep in mind that they are NOT offering a free tax rebate from the government.
It’s also important to remember that the IRS will not send you email or phone you without your first contacting them. There are a number of scams out there ‘phishing’ for information about your bank account, etc. This has ramped up during the post tax season as questions arise about rebates and refunds. Do not be fooled, no matter how legitimate the emails look or the correspondence sounds. If you ever have a question about the legitimacy of an email, you can email it to phishing@irs.gov. You can also call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040 if you have questions about your account.
Finally, do not believe anyone who tells you that they can get your rebate to you “faster” – this is not true. As slow as the IRS is moving to get those checks out, there is no private service that can speed it up. Don’t be fooled.
Be careful with your money and your personal information. Scammers, creeps and deadbeats are practically drooling this time of year. Folks are desperate and a little too trusting (I should know, many of you have offered to send me your Social Security Numbers in order to check on your rebates – please don’t! I don’t have any more information than you do and neither does anyone else. Call the IRS or check out the web site at www.irs.gov – though I know the web site has produced mixed results).
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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Kelly Phillips Erb
Kelly Phillips Erb is a tax attorney, tax writer, and podcaster.
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2 thoughts on “Scams, Schemes & Tomfoolery: Be Careful With Your Tax Rebate!”

  1. wayne says:
    May 23, 2008 at 10:40 pm

    a thought for everyone. stimulis checks, gas prices. money is going right back were it come from. if you even receive any!!!!

    Reply
  2. lee says:
    June 12, 2008 at 11:15 am

    YEP , they sent me 4 letters 1 that said i get 1098.00 what happened to married couple with income of 30,000 with a child in the home , next 3 letters they took it all back and i owe them 205 bucks ! for a back tax that i was making payments on .
    HEY BUSH IT WOULD OF BEEN NICE TO GET THE CASH AND STAY ON THE PAYMENT PLAN !- I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR RANCH !!
    MY FAMILY LOST IT , THANKS TO WAY YOU ALL RUN AMERICA !

    Reply

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